Miss Rachael has always felt most at home on the stage. More than anything she loves telling stories, whether through dancing, acting, singing, or some combination thereof. She grew up in Sarasota, Florida and began dancing and performing in musicals at 7 years old. She'd performed in over 20 community theater productions by the time she reached high school. Rachael attended a prestigious performing arts high school before going on to study musical theater and dance at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. After graduating, she went on to perform with countless professional theaters throughout the country. Miss Rachael first began student teaching with her dance studio at age 12. She choreographed her first professional piece just a year later at only 13 years old and her first musical a year after that. By the time she graduated high school, she had already won a national award for best student choreography. At 18, she co-founded a no-cost youth theater and served as a director, board member, and their resident choreographer for their first 7 seasons, receiving numerous local best choreography nominations and awards in the process. Rachael has gone on to teach for dance studios all up and down the east coast as well as for the renowned performing arts summer camp French Woods Festival of the Arts. She has choreographed for schools, studios, community organizations, and professional theaters around the country. Recently, she was nominated for a Broadway World award for her work on Oklahoma! at a professional dinner theater in Indiana. Beyond her creative pursuits, Rachael also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education Studies and has spent time as a public school teacher. She adores teaching and building relationships with children of all ages, especially within the arts. She is a recent transplant to the Philadelphia area, along with her husband and two cats, and she is so excited to dive into the thriving Philly arts scene. Rachael’s biggest passion is educating and encouraging the next generation of dancers, choreographers, and performing artists! She is overjoyed to be joining the Ascend family and is looking forward to a wonderful season!